What Future?
by OOT Obssessed
Summary: All they knew was the love each harbored for the other. That was what drove them to survive. What kind of future could they have in this post-apocalyptic hell? DarylXOC Sequel to Goodbyes.
1. Miscommunications

**I couldnt help it, i had to write a sequel! :P thank you for all of you who reviewed and are still following :) Here goes. Enjoy!**

KEAGAN'S POV:

Sunlight filtered through the thin walls of my tent.

I groaned. _Time to get married._ I thought, sighing internally at the thought of the production the girls were going to make of this. I would have settled for a simple, "You're mine, I'm yours," but Andrea, Lori, Carol, and even Maggie insisted on making this just like the real thing. Dress, vows, cake cutting, the whole shebang.

I stood and changed my clothes, slipping into jeans and a tank top. I stumbled out of my tent yawning, sure my hair was all over the place and there were dark circles under my eyes.

Sure enough, Glenn looked startled, eyes wide as he handed me a plate of eggs. "What happened to you?" he asked, surprised at my current state.

I raised my eyebrows at him.

"I didn't mean for it to come out like that. You don't look _bad,_ just like you didn't get much sleep."

I nodded. "I couldn't sleep… Nerves, you know?"

Someone hugged me from behind, chuckling softly in my ear. "Even at yer worst, yer completely beautiful."

Glenn looked astonished; no one was really used to Daryl being so… sweet. "No argument there," Glenn muttered under his breath. He looked up catching the death glare Daryl was giving him. His eyes widened. "Oh, I mean- uhh… No! Not at all! I-" then he caught the death glare _I_ gave him. He groaned and turned around. "I cant win with you two!"

We laughed as he walked away.

"So what's this 'bout nerves I hear? Ya aren't getting' cold feet, are ya?"

I smirked, turning to face him. "No way. I just… I don't know. It feels kinda silly to be having a wedding in the middle of all this shit."

He frowned. "What do ya mean?"

I facepalmed and groaned. "I didn't mean it like that. I want to marry you. Of course I do. But I know the girls are going to go way overboard and I just wanted a small wedding you know? Just you me and Herschel."

He smirked, trying to hold back a laugh and I facepalmed twice as hard as before.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Why cant I say anything right today?

"Keagan!" I heard a chorus of women's voices coming from the porch of Herschel's house. I turned to see Carol, Lori, Andrea, Maggie, and Patricia, Otis's wife, waving vigorously and holding brushes and a plastic bag filled with tons of small things I couldn't classify the objects from this distance, but I figured it was about time to start getting ready for my wedding.

I groaned and turned back to Daryl. "I guess I gotta go and get ready." I gave him an apologetic look, but he smiled at me.

"I'll see ya later, then." He winked at me, making me blush.

I still couldn't get over the way his smile, his laugh, or his deep blue eyes made my stomach explode in butterflies and my heart pound so hard my knees wobbled.

He leaned down, pulling me closer to him and kissing me long and softly. The women gave howls and snorts of laughter as my arms slid behind his neck. He pulled away, kissing the tip of my nose before releasing me.

Just as I was walking away, I felt a hand smack me right in the rear. I turned around, blushing fiercely to see Daryl smirking. He winked at me one last time and walked away, going to do whatever it was he had planned for today. Other than our wedding.

I groaned and walked to the porch where the women were grinning wickedly. They were evil. Every last one of them.

I walked past them, ready for this to be over.


	2. Wedding Day

DARYL'S POV:

It had been an hour since Keagan had gone inside that damn house for those women to do God-knows-what to her. I only hoped it wasn't too drastic. Women tended to go a little overboard on everything. Especially weddings. I was glad Keagan wasn't like that. I would've settled for a small wedding, too. Just me her and Herschel (who would be marrying us) as she had said this morning.

I saw Rick talking to Carl over by the picnic table and sauntered over. "Hey, Rick?" I asked, walking closer.

Carl stood up and walked away, sensing an adult situation.

Rick looked up. "Yeah?"

I twisted my hands. "Remember what you said? Back on the highway?" He had offered all that time ago to be like my personal diary, telling him anything I needed to get off my chest so as to alleviate stress.

His answer was to nod.

"Well, I, uhh…" I cleared my throat. "How would ya like tuh be my best man?"

Rick smiled. "I'd love to. Thank you." He clapped a hand down on my shoulder and walked away.

I noticed Sophia and Carl talking animatedly a few feet away. I hated to intrude on Carl's conversation once more, but I needed another position in my wedding filled. "Psst! 'Phia!" I called to her, using the nickname I had given her.

She looked up, grinning. I gestured her over, kneeling down to her height and trying to ignore the looks Carl was throwing me.

"You ever been a flower girl?"

Her face brightened even more and she threw her arms around my neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She jumped up and down and let go of my neck, running off to tell Carl the good news.

I laughed and shook my head, standing up again.

It had been a while since I was a dick to anyone and I figured Glenn would be the perfect person to poke fun at, but he had gotten the ring I had proposed to Keagan with from town, so I frowned and decided not to.

God damn. This girl was actually bringing me closer to the other survivors.

I sighed and went to where T-dog was sitting, summoning every racial joke I had in my arsenal.

KEAGAN'S POV:

"Oww!" I hollered as Andrea brushed the tangles from my long, dark hair.

"Well, if you would cut your hair, there wouldn't be so much hair to get tangled," she threw back.

I bit my lip and let her finish brushing out my wet hair. I had just gotten out of the shower and was covered in a bathrobe. The other girls were sorting through the bag Maggie had brought back from town, which contained (as I had recently been told) makeup and hairclips.

While my hair was wet, they put curlers in (quite painfully) to give my hair a few soft curls. They only put them in on the edges, curling away from my face.

Then, they painstakingly applied makeup. They put concealer under my eyes to get rid of those horrid bags. But only the littlest amount, just what was completely necessary to hide my sleepless nights, so as not to cover up the tons of freckles covering my nose and the majority of the skin over my cheekbones. They used a light appliance of various brands and forms of makeup to play up my eyes, making the green mixed with the brown pop out, making my eyes even deeper hazel. Then they coated my lips with a deep red lipstick, then added a layer of clear gloss. Finally, they put on a bit of blush, giving my already naturally rosy cheeks a subtle boost.

Then they slipped the dress on over me. It was long and white, as most wedding dresses usually are. Maggie had also picked this up in a store in town. I applauded her taste.

It was simple, but elegant. The straps only covered the tip of my shoulders, and were made of lace covered with a very thin gauze. The neck line was low and cut straight across from one shoulder to the other. There were lace embellishments with a floral-looking design over the bodice, seeming to grow upwards. The floral ornamentations continued, flowing in a single, straight line from the bottom and flaring up at the cinched in waist-line, creating a climbing roses effect with the soft yarn-like lace. The skirt widened and spread outward, covering my white flats (I had begged them to let me wear them instead of the white high heels they had picked out).

They pulled the curlers out of my now-dry hair and brushed it out, softening it further and finally, the handed me a bouquet of red flowers and let me see myself in the full-length mirror Maggie had in her room.

I touched my face, awed. "You guys should be beauticians," I muttered.

They chuckled and high-fived each other.

Lori looked out the window, judging the time by the sun's position in the sky. "Its almost time."

For the first time that night, I thought at length about what I was about to do. I felt my chest spasm and my breathing became irregular. "Holy shit," I breathed, sitting down.

Someone shoved a glass of water into my hands which I promptly chugged.

They crowded around me, freaking me out further. I was going into shock, wasn't I?

Lori patted my hand and smiled sympathetically. She knew what this was like. Only she probably had it much worse; more people were there at hers.

Then something small and light tapped on the window. But when our heads turned, nothing was there. It came again, and this time we saw that it was a pebble hitting the window.

Andrea crept over to the window and pushed her back against the wall, sneaking over to the window James Bond style. She peeked out quickly and moved away from the window quickly so whoever it was didn't see her. "Its Daryl," she announced, smiling at me.

Someone draped the bathrobe around me and I pulled it tight and then they hid my hair under a towel and left the room.

The pebbles were still coming. _Hasn't he used up their whole driveway yet?_ I thought, opening the window.

There he was, blue jeans and a button-up with ripped off sleeves.

"I hope you're not planning on wearing that to our wedding," I joked, hoping he knew I didn't care what he wore as long as he was there.

He shook his head, smiling and laughing. "Naw, Glenn picked me somethin' up from town fer this." He seemed to sober up then. "Ya sure yer ready fer this?" He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked up at me.

"Yes," I answered, completely sure of my answer.

He nodded, a smile coming back out. "Good. The rings might be pretty easily returned, but my heart isn't." He placed a fist over his heart and stared up at me.

I grinned, amused at his suddenly poetic nature. I kinda missed the asshole he used to be. But I had to say, I kinda liked the cheesy lines he would feed me when we walked around camp.

"What a cheese-ball," I rolled my eyes.

He chuckled and pointed up to me, then stopped pointing and patted his heart.

I smiled, blushing and closed the window as he walked away. I sighed and the women burst back into the room, chattering about Daryl's corny display of love; they must've been eavesdropping from the other side of the door.

How did I get so lucky? I get Daryl Dixon as a husband (or at least I would in about an hour). He was, in my opinion, the hottest guy alive. And he was tough as nails, reminding me of home back in Texas where all the boys were just like him, sarcastic and mean. I loved it. But, he was also sweet and always there when I needed him to be.

Finally, Andrea announced that Dale was ready to walk me down the aisle (of lawn chairs and wooden stools) and I began another round of hysteria. Oh God. I'm getting married. I thought I felt the small breakfast I had that morning start to resurface. I swallowed against the bitter taste and forced my feet to move.

The sun was just beginning to set, the sky an orange-purple color.

Dale was waiting at the bottom of the staircase, holding out his arm with a smile on his face. "Ready?" he asked as I looped my arm through his.

I nodded, taking a few deep breaths before moving from my spot by the banister of the staircase. I thought I was going to pee my dress. That would've been embarrassing.

Maggie handed me the bouquet with an encouraging smile before walking out the door to go sit with everyone else.

Then, Dale started walking forward, pulling me along with him. We walked outside, rounding the corner and going into the backyard. The chairs and stools were set up like pews at a church and Herschel was standing with a bible in his hands at the front.

Daryl was standing just beside him, dressed in a tuxedo and a pair of blue jeans. I had to fight not to giggle at the sight, though I had to say, he looked pretty amazing (like he didn't always). He was talking to Rick (I guess he asked him to be his best man) and Rick nodded in my direction to indicate that the bride was in the house, which is an ironic expression since we were actually outside. He let his beautiful blue eyes wander over to me, widening when they caught sight of me.

I felt my face heat up and bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. You would think he's never seen a woman before. The girls' hours of fussing over me must've paid off.

He smiled, eyes watching dreamily as I made my way forward.

When we finally made it to the front, Dale placed my hand in Daryl's and went to sit in the front row beside Andrea. As soon as my hand touched Daryl's, I forgot all about the people around us, I forgot my worried and fears, I forgot that everyone we knew was dead and there was just me and him. I didn't take my eyes off his and he seemed as caught as I was. I hoped it never stopped being like this. I never wanted to forget the way he made me feel this night. I never wanted to let go of his hand and I never wanted to be without him.

We spoke at the appropriate times, repeating the same words millions before us had spoken. Then Carl stepped forward with a couch cushion with our rings (which we had to release this morning to Carl for this moment) seated on it.

We each leaned down and grabbed a ring. I winked at Carl as he turned around, blushing a bit.

Then, we slipped the rings on each other's fingers.

I looked back up into his eyes, unsure if he had felt the same thing I had. When he placed the ring on my finger, I was sure I felt my heart do something weird. Like it was changing. His eyes looked just as full of awe and wonder, so I assumed he did. Was this true love? I think it was.

Herschel spoke then, but our eyes stayed locked. "Do you-"

Daryl interrupted, "I do."

"I do."

Without giving Herschel any time to get anything else in, we leaned forward and embraced each other in a kiss.

Everyone around us chuckled, including Herschel and I heard him announce, "You may continue kissing your bride!"

Keagan Dixon. I like the sound of that.


	3. My Blushing Bride

DARYL'S POV:

"What's marriage like?" I asked Rick who was standing behind me as I waited for Keagan to show up.

Rick smiled. "Well, you don't have to worry about in-laws or house payments, so I don't think you've got much to worry about besides emotional junk. Especially when they get pregnant."

My eyes widened. Kids? I hadn't even thought about that. Would she want kids? Did I want kids? Would a child be safe in this world?

"Wha-" just as I was about to ask him all of this, he nodded to the beautiful woman in the white dress making her way down the aisle.

Keagan was in a dress that clung to her torso perfectly and flowed out in the skirt. I don't know much fashion/dress/clothing jargon, so that's really all I could describe.

But I found it even harder to describe accurately just how beautiful she was. Her hair was curled a tiny bit around her face and her eyes seemed twice as colorful. Her cheeks were a rosy color. They always were, but today they were a darker red.

She smiled when she noticed me watching her walking toward me. I grinned back, wondering what on earth I had done to deserve this.

After what felt like an eternity, she was finally right in front of me. Dale placed her hand in mine, her skin soft and smooth.

Herschel began reciting his part in the wedding as I stared, captivated, at my Keagan.

As we repeated after Herschel, memories passed, lighting the back of my eyelids. Everything.

The moment I first met her when I pulled her into that janitors closet and saved her life. It was the best decision I ever made.

Then the time she had a break down about her dead boyfriend Bradley and cried in my arms at the quarry.

Then I remembered back to when I woke up in bed with her, just holding her after I had found her sleeping outside and taken her inside her tent. She had insisted I stayed, but when she woke up, some hurtful things were said. So, to get away from it, I pulled Glenn, T-dog, and Rick into Atlanta with me so we could find Merle. But when we got back, walkers were attacking the camp and I was worrying terribly that she had been bitten. I realized how stupid I was for letting my temper get the best of me and was thankful to see that she had survived.

Then I remembered the way she looked that morning when I woke up in the CDC to find that we had slept together after getting completely shitfaced. She was completely beautiful, oblivious to what was quickly turning to hell around us in that sweet escape they called sleep. I had barely had time to get out before she woke up and caught me in bed with her. I didn't want her getting ideas. Besides, the next morning, she didn't remember a thing.

Then there was the time I thought I had lost her. We had been hiding under cars as a group of walkers passed by us, but she and Sophia got chased into the woods by Keagan's dead boyfriend Bradley. I searched for them harder than I had ever searched for anything in my life. But, they made it back. She came back to me.

I pushed all memories from my mind and focused on what was happening here and now. I grabbed a ring from the beat up yellow couch cushion Carl was carrying and slipped it onto her finger. As I did so, I felt something in my chest get lighter. Like my heart wasn't just sitting in my body anymore, it was floating, suspended by the emotions the girl in front of me made me feel.

Herschel began speaking, but I cut him off. "Do you-"

"I do."

"I do," she repeated without hesitation.

Herschel couldn't get a word in edgewise as our interruptions turned into the kiss signaling our bondage. "You may continue kissing your bride!"

Everyone laughed and I pulled away, still holding her close to me. I wasn't ever going to let go.


	4. Spectators

SOPHIA'S POV:

When I saw Daryl and Keagan sliding their rings on each other's fingers, I knew I was over Daryl. He was all hers now.

I smiled at the thought. Keagan had her prince charming.

And when Carl reached over and grabbed my hand, I thought, maybe, I had mine, too.

CARL'S POV:

I didn't really like Daryl much. I could tell Sophia liked him, and I wasn't sure why every time I saw her smile at him I felt my stomach clench up.

But I was just a kid, its not like I could beat him up or anything, I probably couldn't even if I was an adult right now.

Keagan I liked, though. She was really nice and pretty, too.

But don't tell Sophia I said that! I don't want her to think that I like Keagan and not her.

I don't know if it was a conscious movement or not when I reached over and took Sophia's hand in mine.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Sophia smile and my mom nudge my dad and draw his attention to it.

Ugh! Thanks mom…

LORI'S POV:

I thought it was an amazing idea to have a wedding with all that's been going on lately. Everyone needed something to make us all feel a little bit human; sometimes we forgot that we were still human and didn't get the chance to relax, or joke around, or party. This was just what we all needed.

Plus, I knew it meant a lot to the two. No matter how much Keagan said she wanted a small wedding and thought it was silly to be doing this, I knew she was loving this.

I remembered the way I felt when I saw the way Rick had looked at me when my father walked me up to him. I turned my head and smiled at Rick. He smiled back, tossing an arm around my shoulder.

I turned my attention back to the front of the makeshift altar.

I could see it in Keagan's eyes and in Daryl's. They were completely head-over-heels in love. The way they looked at each other was odd; I hadn't expected Daryl of that kind of depth in all my life. But here he was, staring into Keagan's eyes like he had found the cure to whatever disease it was the walkers had. But no, it was much more than that.

He hadn't found a cure. He hadn't found merely love. He hadn't even found just true love.

He had found himself. The real Daryl.

RICK'S POV:

I watched the two of them staring at each other in wonder. They would be happy.

I had never seen Daryl be so nice or kind or show any emotion other than anger. But around her, he was a completely different person. I only hoped that was the real Daryl. The Daryl without all the rage and violence.

I smiled at them, knowing he would only ever be like that with her.

_Way to go, bud._

ANDREA'S POV:

I was happy for them.

They wouldn't let anything tear them apart, you could see it in their eyes.

I was especially happy for Keagan. She got Daryl Dixon. He was pretty attractive. But, I guess she was, too. Maybe I should get them a plaque that says "Most Attractive Living Couple".

If I was being completely honest, though, I was a little bit disappointed that Daryl wasn't free anymore. I used to watch him as he walked past and wonder what a girl had to do to make him look twice. I guess they had to be Keagan.

But, I noticed Shane looking at me from a few seats away and smiled, blushing.

She could have Daryl. I'd take Shane.

SHANE'S POV:

Well, I couldn't say I was completely happy that Daryl was being given a woman, but it wasn't really any of my business. If she ended up getting abused, though, I hoped she wouldn't expect me to come running to her rescue.

I glanced over at Rick out of the corner of my eye. All snuggly with Lori. He would help her if it came to that. But he didn't believe it would happen.

When I looked at the way Daryl watched Keagan when she wasn't looking, I found it kinda hard to believe that he would ever hurt her, too. But he was some stupid backwoods redneck with a dangerous temper.

Keagan could take care of herself.

T-DOG'S POV:

Never thought I'd see the day that Daryl Dixon was nice to anyone.

Never thought I'd see Daryl getting married.

I never thought I'd see anyone like Daryl admit that they love someone (other than that damn crossbow).

I never thought I'd see the dead start walking.

But never in a million years did I ever think I would see two people any more in love.

GLENN'S POV:

Wow… She looks amazing. I looked around at everyone in the crowd of people. Guess they all thought the same thing I did.

Especially Daryl. Woah.

I had always kind of doubted that Daryl knew anything besides violence and anger. But the way he acted around Keagan was not Daryl at all. At least not the one I knew. He was sweet and nice and gentle. Words no one would have thought to apply to our redneck zombie hunter. Whenever she wasn't around, though, he was right back to irritable and mean.

That week and a half that Keagan and Sophia had been lost, Daryl was the meanest I had ever seen him, constantly yelling and blowing up at things even tinier than the usual stuff he got mad about. But, with Keagan back, he was a little more calm. It was like she was his prescribed medication for anger management or something.

She was perfect for him. She was a survivor with hardened will and the strength to follow through with her decisions. She wouldn't slow him down; she was as much a fighter as he was. She knew how to handle his temper. She blew up right back at him and sometimes left him speechless.

It was obvious they were made for each other. Which was too bad, because that just meant one more girl that I couldn't get with. As if my chances of that were all that great in the first place.

I turned and saw Maggie looking at me. When she noticed I had caught her, she blushed and looked down. I smiled, pleased with myself.

Glenn is back in business.

DALE'S POV:

I knew she could change him. And she did. Completely. He was no longer completely enraged with anything and everything said to him, he was only partially angry and even then, Keagan calmed him down.

They were perfect for each other, I had known it since I saw a private moment between the two back at the quarry. Keagan had been sitting by the water, crying about someone she lost. Daryl had come out of the woods, probably hearing her and wondering what it was. She had started to fall and he had caught her, holding her as she cried. I knew from then on that Daryl and Keagan would be inseparable.

They both had a terrible temper, but together, they served as an equalizer.

And his reaction to her going missing that day on the highway was even more proof of his love; he didn't take a single break in his search for Keagan and Sophia. It was his occupation. He claimed it was because he had nothing else to do, but we all knew better. He loved her.


	5. Wedding Crashers

KEAGAN'S POV:

Everyone helped move the chairs and stools to create a substitute dance floor out of a cleared patch of grass. Herschel pulled his truck up beside us and opened the doors, letting the radio play.

Daryl and I danced to the first song silently, just staring into each other's eyes and contemplating the fact that we were now married.

It had been about 2 months into the apocalypse and I just got married. It was the last thing I ever expected to happen, but I was glad it did (and its not like I expected anything else that had happened in the past 2 months).

Mine and Daryl's relationship had been a rollercoaster of tears, harsh words, and one occasion of drunken sex. But now, he was my husband. We hadn't really been "dating" before he proposed. Not even after we both confessed we loved each other, we stayed co-survivors and basically nothing more. Things were as normal as they had been since the end of the world between us. But there was an understood bond that went beyond friends, beyond a couple, and far beyond the word love, and everyone around camp could sense it.

When the first song was over, I was passed around for dances, as was Daryl. We both watched the other's partner with envy. We danced with everyone. I even danced with Shane who was surprisingly pleasant and didn't have a single snarky thing to say.

Glenn was a pretty shy dancer, but once we realized how silly we probably looked, he loosened up and we laughed as we danced. When Daryl heard our giggles, I noticed the jealous side-glances he was throwing us.

When I was half-way through my dance with T-dog, walkers snuck out from behind a few trees, stumbling and moaning, as was walker protocol. Luckily, there were only 3.

Daryl grabbed a rock and whistled to a walker trying to make a grab for a screaming Sophia. When the walker looked up, Daryl lobbed the medium sized rock at its face, sending it sprawling onto its back. Daryl reached into his pocket for the knife I had given him when I first joined the group. He stabbed the walker in the head, causing blood to spurt out but miraculously, he managed not to get any on himself.

As Rick and Shane began beating down the other two walkers, Daryl ran back to me.

Herschel turned the radio in his truck off; that had probably been what drew them here in the first place.

Daryl hugged me to him, asking if I was alright as the last walker died.

I nodded. Everyone seemed slightly shaken (like when you notice a spider crawling on you then you brush it off but you can still feel your heart pounding), but honestly I found it kind of amusing. Zombies crashed my wedding. What a thing to be able to tell my children. Wait… Kids? Would Daryl want kids? Do I want kids? Would we be able to protect and raise a child in a world like this?

That was when I started feeling shaken.

Daryl must have noticed. "C'mere, sit down."

I followed him over to the chairs. Once I was seated, Daryl crouched in front of me, taking my hands.

I looked into his blue eyes, slightly panicked. Kids?

"Hey, c'mon. They didn' even get close," he said with a tone that said I was overreacting.

"Huh?" I asked intelligently.

"The walkers?" he said, giving me an odd look.

"Oh! Right, the walkers. Yeah, it- uh… It just kinda freaked me out."

He nodded, though it seemed like he knew the walkers weren't what had scared me.

I stood up and began to walk to my tent; I couldn't wait to get out of that damn dress. _I bet Daryl can help you with that,_ I smirked at the immature thought.

The women were moving chairs, Herschel was moving the truck, and the men were moving the walker bodies.

When I got to the area where we had set up camp, my tent was nowhere to be seen. "Where the hell is my tent?" I muttered to myself. I was sure I had left it here.

Someone behind me, whose voice I recognized immediately, said, "I figured, since we're married 'n' all, we should share a tent."

I laughed and followed Daryl over to his tent, careful not to let the hem of my dress drag through the dirt. Before actually going in the tent, I took a few seconds to admire the moon and the stars.

Everyone was starting to come back to our area of Herschel's yard and I caught Andrea's eye. She looked between me and Daryl's tent and rose her eyebrows in a suggestive manner before winking. "We'll talk tomorrow," she called to me.

I rolled my eyes with a smile and walked inside of the tent, ready for sleep.

Then I caught sight of Daryl taking his tux jacket off. I grinned, walking forward to help him undo the buttons of the white button-up underneath.

Sleep could wait.


	6. DJ Dixon

KEAGAN'S POV:

"DJ Teague Dixon, you get your ass down here!" I yelled up the stairs of the old farmhouse.

Daryl chuckled from his seat at the table and took a swig of water as he looked over a newspaper. He didn't actually like reading them, he just thought it was the fatherly thing to do. I rolled my eyes at him. I knew he wasn't actually paying attention to the monotonously printed words on the gray page, but he still felt the need to skim it every day.

"I'm up!"

I looked over to the bottom of the staircase to see my baby boy. Daryl Junior. He had his father's drawl, hair, and facial expressions and my eyes, height, and Texan alcohol resistance. So my 16-year-old son had snuck into my liquor cabinet once or twice, it wasn't like he could do much damage with what little we kept there. Most of it was stored in my bedside drawer. But, being parented by Daryl and myself, he had inherited a pretty nasty temper and a smart mouth to boot. But, he knew better than to cross his parents. He reserved that kind of behavior for the little ingrates he went to school with that picked on him.

"Ya gonna help me with that shed today or what?" Daryl asked, folding his paper and laying it flat on the table.

DJ sat at the table and gave his father a lopsided grin that reminded me of my father. "Ya gonna do some of it insteada stand and watch, ol' man?" he said.

"Oooh, Junior's got his big-boy britches on today!" Daryl howled, standing up, ever the rambunctious hillbilly he had been when we had been in our 20's. He hadn't aged a day, it seemed. He had slightly more creases on his forehead when his eyes scrunched up, but other than that, he was completely the same. Daryl stood from the table and grabbed his son around his neck, dragging him out of the house.

DJ just laughed and walked cooperatively out.

Daryl stopped and turned around, "I gotta get somethin' I'll meet ya out there."

I walked out the front door and stood on the porch, watching DJ walk toward the half-built shed as Daryl rushed past me to go back inside for whatever he had forgotten.

DJ turned around, walking backwards as he threw me a wave. But, since he was walking backwards, he didn't see the undead creature coming up on him.

"No," I whispered. "No! DJ! Turn around! DJ!"

Before he knew what was happening, the walker had bitten deep into my son's neck. The last thing I saw on his face before he dropped lifeless to the ground was shocked horror.

I heard a gurgling noise behind me and turned to see another snacking on Daryl's jugular. I felt the saltwater pouring off my face as I lost the only two people in my life that mattered.

"DARYL!"

The walker looked up, dropping Daryl as he tried to grasp at the gaping hole his throat had become. His eyes rolled into the back of his skull and his breathing ceased.

When I looked up, I realized I knew this walker. The once brown eyes, now turned blood-shot, the untidy mess of hair, the ridiculous piece of yarn around his right wrist he had worn since we were kids and thought it would be cool to make each other yarn bracelets… It was my baby brother. Teagan.

And he was gnawing on my shoulder.

Oo0oO

"Fuck!" I whisper-screamed as I shot straight up, gasping for air. I pulled the sleeping bag around my naked torso and wiped the cold sweat from my forehead.

"What is it?" Daryl asked, his voice slurred from sleep and his eyes only half-focused. His hair was sticking out in random places and his chest was bare.

I rubbed at my tearing-up eyes and sniffed. "Nothing, just a- uh… bad dream," I stuttered.

He put an arm around my shoulders. "Musta been a perty bad dream."

I nodded. "It was terrible."

He pulled me back down so I was laying in his arms. He moved my hair back from my sticky forehead and kissed my cheek. He rubbed my back and started singing. "Take time to realize, that your warmth is crashing down on me."

For a guy singing a song originally sung by a girl, he was pretty good. The fact that I loved his voice made it that much better.

It was the song that had been playing when he proposed to me.

I rested my head against his chest and listened to his voice, willing the images of an unborn 16-year-old to go away.

Soon enough, I fell asleep to Daryl's lilting voice.


	7. Poor Tdog

NORMAL POV:

Survivors of the apocalypse rose from their tents on Herschel Greene's farm early that morning, not for any special reason, just because that was when they woke up.

T-dog sat in a folding lawn chair and looked around him.

Up on the porch of Herschel's house, Glenn was talking to Maggie, both shyly blushing and (though T-dog didn't know it) remembering what events had transpired at a local store almost a week ago.

Completely across camp from each other, Andrea and Shane were trying (and failing terribly) to conceal their googly eyes.

Lori and Rick were hugging each other and smiling like today was the happiest day of their lives.

T-dog also noticed a slim hand darting out of Daryl Dixon's tent to snatch up a shirt that had been tossed outside in their haste to get rid of certain… articles. Then, the two proceeded to step out of the tent, Keagan in Daryl's sleeveless button-up and some jean shorts and Daryl in a different sleeveless button-up and jeans.

"Am I the only one _not_ getting laid around here?" T-dog asked, eyeing the newlyweds enviously.

Dale walked past and patted his shoulder empathetically.

Everyone who was around to witness the display of understanding grimaced, suddenly not hungry as the thought of Dale ever getting laid chased any cravings out of their minds.

**A/N: Not really a complete chapter, I know. I just figured this short chapter would make a few people laugh. Review please! **


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